The AK-47 rifle, tactical shotgun and recently introduced shot shell firearm, such as those produced by Remington® and Mossberg® are popular firearms, but have limited options for laser and light accessories. They do not have an upper rail system, or only have available poor-quality, after-market accessories known to rapidly lose zero.
Another issue arises because the few good options available require mounting to the front portion of the firearm, requiring both hands on the firearm to perform two functions while attempting to accomplish one task. The user must use one hand to hold the fore grip of the firearm and the other to activate the accessory, with neither hand in the ready position to fire.
In some instances, a firearm may have a wire and bladder switch applied with duct tape or electrical wire ties to allow locating the activation switch near the firing hand. However, this causes a potential snag point and exposes the wire and electrical path to possible damage, deactivating the accessory.
As used here, the term “AK” refers to rifles based upon the original AK-47, or AK. The term “AK” comes from Avtomat Kalashnikova, which means essentially ‘Kalashnikov's Automatic Rifle,’ named for Mikhail Kalashnikov who invented the rifle. It is a gas-operated 7.62×39 mm assault rifle. The name “AK” has become a standard type of firearm, now manufactured by multiple companies across the world.
One of the most popular laser, light or laser/light combination accessories is a self-contained carrier that includes the illumination/laser element(s) and can be affixed to a standard top of receiver picatinny accessory rail of the firearm. These self-contained units contain the power source for the illumination/laser elements and the various associated switch and electrical circuitry to control functioning of the illumination/laser elements.
To select an operating mode of the illumination/laser element(s), the operator often must manipulate the firearm into an un-ready position to access the device to select a desired operating mode or to activate the device. Once the operator has selected the desired operating mode or activated the device, the operator can then reshoulder, or manipulate, the firearm into a ready position. Having the firearm in an un-ready position makes the operator vulnerable and unable to respond quickly and/or accurately to threats that may arise. Additionally, the activation of the illumination/laser element(s) prior to hostile engagement can reveal the operator's location, negating any stealth, or surprise the operator may have had.
One approach that solves these issues is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 9,766,038, “LASER AIMING AND ILLUMINATION DEVICE FOR AR-15 STYLE WEAPONS PLATFORM,” for top-rail firearms on which the modules are mounted to a rail attached to the upper portion of AR-15 type firearms. However, the firearms described above do not have an upper rail, nor the ability to install an upper rail. Those available will lose their zero after several shots or when removed for cleaning and replaced rendering them useless. The accessories as mentioned require two hands or exposed wires to operate.
There exists a need for a device that integrates a laser and/or light source into a singular package for firearms with side receivers as described. Devices that have protected wires, can be activated single-handedly while allowing the user to maintain the firearm in a ready position or accurately direct the firearm from an unready position.